The Laws of Unicron
by Kittisbat
Summary: What happens when everything you had been taught all your life is shattered? What happens when you realize you had always been wrong? Do you change… or do you just keep going?
1. Will You Bite the Hand that Feeds You?

Author's Note: You guys remember me? That person that put out stories and then didn't update them? Yeah, her. Hi. I haven't forgotten about the other stories, really, but looking back at them I just see all of these mistakes…. I'll probably update them again, but not until I go back and revise the story. In the mean time, I found this juicy little plot bunny, and the rabid thing has grabbed my leg and won't let go. I think I found it while day-dreaming… or listening to "The Hand That Feeds." Not entirely sure. Anyway, here it is.

Disclaimer: Not mine. _Transformers_ isn't, and "The Hand That Feeds" isn't either.

Summary: What happens when everything you had been taught all your life is shattered? What happens when you realize you had always been wrong? Do you change… or do you just keep going?

You're keeping in step

**In the line**

Soundwave. Loyal soldier to Megatron, obedient disciple of Unicron. He had never questioned his faith, never questioned Megatron's decisions. Megatron was Unicron's chosen one, after all, and one didn't question the priest.

Got your chin held high and you feel just fine

And Soundwave's priest had made his orders very clear. Soundwave was to keep order in the ranks while their leader was away, to make sure none of them strayed from Unicron's chosen path. Megatron would take care of the Allspark problem, and then the Decepticons would finally show the universe the holy way. The right way. For everyone else was heading into the darkness, into the grasp of the wrong.

Because you do

**What you're told**

It had only been recently that Megatron had finally contacted the ever patiently waiting Soundwave. After vorns of silence their noble leader, Lord Megatron, had finally deigned his troops worthy of a report. And the report was simple: they had found the Allspark, and in a matter of moments it would finally be in the possession of the Decepticons. Then the troops would rush to Earth and destroy the filth inhabiting the planet, but not before. No one questioned this order. No one ever did.

But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold

And then Soundwave felt it. A hand flew to his chest, beneath which four symbiotes and his spark rested. The fifth was missing, sent with Megatron, and he was hurting. The other soldiers looked at this odd display of weakness with a cool hatred, but none dared step forward, either to help or to finish him off. Even injured Soundwave was still stronger than all of them, and even unconscious he had symbiotes to protect him. No, none would step forward just yet: they valued their lives far too much.

Just how deep do you believe?

But Soundwave valued a life other than his own. He valued Frenzy's, and he valued Rumble's. Should one go, the other would surely follow. Soundwave didn't want to loose them. It went against everything The Laws told him, but he wanted to save them. Love was a weakness that could not be harbored by disciples of Unicron. Only the strongest survive: the weak fall, and the strong move on, treading on the fallen one's without a second thought. That was how it was supposed to be. Right?

Will you bite the hand that feeds? Will you chew until it bleeds?

Leaving now meant disobeying a direct order, and it meant breaking The Laws. How could he even consider such a thing? And yet Soundwave was considering it. He was considering it very much. He couldn't let Frenzy die. He just couldn't. And all of his symbiotes were echoing the sentiment in his head, supporting him. "We will follow you," they told him, "we will follow you to the ends of the universe. We will support you in whatever you do, for we care about you just as you care about us." His optics closed for a moment before snapping open once more.

**Can you get up off your knees?**

"Do not leave the base," Soundwave ordered the assembled Decepticons in his usual monotone. "No exceptions." With that he turned and marched out of the door, letting it hiss shut behind him. It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter that he was disobeying a direct order: he was going to Earth, and he was saving Frenzy. Silent encouragement filled his chest as Soundwave took off from the small planet they had been housed on. He never planned to return.

Are you brave enough to see?

**Do you want to change it?**

Maybe The Sacred Laws were wrong. Maybe they weren't so sacred after all. If he had to choose between following Unicron in leaving behind the weak and saving the ones (few as they were) he loved, Soundwave would step out of line. He would beam Unicron with a rock and run away, fearless, knowing nothing could stop him. And maybe, along the way, he would learn something.

What if this whole crusade's

**A charade**

But what of the war? He had fought, killed, tortured for his cause, and for what? To realize he was wrong? That alone almost made Soundwave stop. Everything, his entire life, his beliefs… gone. Just like that. Could he do it? Throw it all out the figurative airlock? Something cold wrapped around Soundwave's spark and wouldn't let go. Nothing could make up for what he had done. All those vorns, all those smudges against his person.… He had done horrible things, terrible things, and all for his cause. If Megatron ordered it, Soundwave did it. And Megatron was not merciful.

And behind it all there's a price to be paid

Soundwave was, though. He always had been. He said it was logical, that pointless cruelty only wasted time. His victims, when he could help it, met swift deaths. Shoot the spark. Crush the processor. Cut the main energon line. Don't just rip off the limbs and let the mech bleed to death, there was no reason. Nothing logical. Still, he had killed. His hands were stained with energon that was not his own, and he had caused unnecessary pain. It had been ordered. Torture the subject, find out what they knew. Soundwave had always insisted there were better ways to acquire information, but sometimes Megatron just didn't care. What did it mean? What punishment was there that could make up for all that Soundwave had done?

For the blood

**On which we dine**

He had seen great horrors, he had seen sparklings ripped limb from limb and femmes treated as no creature ever alive should be. He had seen the light fade from optics, and heard once strong mechs beg for mercy. He had seen rage, both just and that of a berserker in battle. He had seen mechs fight for nothing more than to quench the thirst of their own energonlust. The saddest, the worst part, though? He hadn't lifted a servo to stop it.

Justified in the name of the holy and the divine

Soundwave remembered how it had all begun. It was the Golden Age of Cybertron, but that didn't mean there wasn't still rust. It just meant the brighter parts got a new shine that took the attention away from the darker, nastier parts. Soundwave had been a scientist at the time, one of the few that had managed to rise from poverty into something more. He had been born into The Laws of Unicron, and he had never abandoned them. Never until now. The other followers were not as lucky as Soundwave. They had been born into poverty and it was likely they would die in it as well. Most of them hated the rest of Cybertron. They hated them for their good fortune, for their "higher standards," for their hypocrisy. But mostly they hated the higher classes for their view of the lower, for those that had to scramble for their next meal and steal just to survive. That was how the first seeds of war were sowed.

Just how deep do you believe?

Megatron had seemed like a gift from Unicron himself. Sometimes it was hard to remember when he had been so charismatic. Soundwave remembered his voice lifting up in the alleys and streets, and hearing the Unicron followers cheer. It was Unicron's will to start over again, he had said, to wipe away the weak and start again with only the strong and the worthy. Soundwave had listened, and he had supported. It sounded right, when spoken aloud, but somehow things always seem better when you're hearing them, instead of seeing them.

Will you bite the hand that feeds?

**Will you chew until it bleeds?**

Megatron had told them that femmes were weak, and so were their offspring. Soundwave had voiced his concerns, telling their noble leader how he himself was the child of a femme. Megatron had told Soundwave that he was an exception, and Soundwave had believed him. He had been blinded by faith and Megatron's proclamations that _he_ was Unicron's chosen. He had watched as the femmes were murdered. He had overseen the youth sector's destruction. They couldn't know which were femme-born without a medical exam, after all, and that would have taken too long. Besides, they were too weak to survive a war, they would have only gotten in the way. There would be new sparklings when it was all over. When it was over, things would be wonderful, there would be no poverty, and everyone would be strong, because there would be no weak….

Can you get up off your knees?

In retrospect, Soundwave should have seen it. The question, "What if something happens to the Allspark?" had never arisen, or at least not where it could reach other's audio receptors. Soundwave himself had been told to "take care of" anyone who was becoming too nosy. Then there was the idea that there would never again be any weak. If all were strong, would the weakest of the strong still be considered weak? The poverty of the Golden Age wouldn't disappear simply because there were no more weak. All that Megatron was really doing was giving himself- and his closest followers- power. Hardly the noble ideals he had been telling his growing army.

Are you brave enough to see?

**Do you want to change it?**

The Decepticons hadn't really cared, though. The cold thing in Soundwave's spark gave a squeeze at the thought. They had liked this new freedom to do as they pleased. They had relished the ability to torture and kill without facing repercussions, nay, even being commended for the distasteful, to put it lightly, acts. They were fighting those that had splashed old lubricant in their faces before, and they loved it, every moment of it.

So naïve

**I keep holding on to what I want to believe**

How couldn't he have seen it before? It was as if, all of these vorns, the concept had been invisible to his optics, hiding just out of sight and just out of reach. It was too late to fix all that he had done, too late to save the femmes, the sparklings. Too late to tell Optimus Prime why his brother had suddenly turned away from him and why mechs previously unseen, unknown were crawling out of the cracks and pointing guns in his general direction. Too late to say he was sorry. Too late to lay down his weapons and say he wasn't going to do this, he wasn't going to fight. Too late to earn back the Autobot's trust.

I can see

**But I keep holding on and on and on and on**

But it wasn't too late to save Frenzy. It wasn't too late to save Rumble, and it wasn't too late to save his own spark the pain of loosing another symbiote. They were his- the few things in the universe he cared about, and he wasn't going to let them go. Maybe they could find some uninhabited planet and survive there for the rest of eternity. It would be lonely, but at least they would be online, and at least they wouldn't be causing any more harm. Maybe, when it was all over, vorns in the future, he could even return to Cybertron. Restore it, slowly, piece by piece. Nothing could save their planet now, but maybe he could leave it as a monument, a memorial to all their sins and all their glory. A museum of their past.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

Maybe, once he was whole again, he could write out their history. So that the future generations, should there be any, could see all the mistakes their predecessors made, and avoid them. So they wouldn't make the same mistakes Soundwave had.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

His history would be harsh and blunt, plainly stating mistakes and victories. If something had gone right, there would be no glorifying it and forgetting what had gone wrong along the way. It would be shown as what it had been: no more, no less. Being blind to the ways of life only caused future pain and suffering.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

There would be no censorship. It would not be for the faint of spark, as it would be true to the history, with all its graphic details. One who didn't understand a wrong was sure to make such a wrong again, without realizing they had done so. Ignorance does not excuse mistakes, but it does cause them.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

He would instruct their future not to fall into blind faith as he had, but to be constantly vigilant. Do not let others make your decisions for you, he would tell them, but make your decisions for yourself. No one but you can decide what is best, and what is right and wrong. For sometimes, it is not always so clear.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

"There is a war that proves mechs are wont to categorize things easily into "good" and "bad," but it is not so easy as we wish to make it," he would write. "There is black, and there is white, but between them all there is much, very much, gray." And who is to place grey in white or black? For it consists of both, after all.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

If only, if only, it were so easy. Easy is changing the world. Never faltering or making a mistake? That's hard. Soundwave himself was a testament to that. If only he could change everything back- but you can't. You never can. You can only pick up the pieces after all is said and done.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

It was time for Soundwave to pick up the pieces. It was time for him to acknowledge his mistakes. It was time for him to attempt to right them, though he knew good and well it wasn't possible. It was time to start making his own choices, instead of letting someone else do it for him.

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

**Will you stay down on your knees?**

It was time to change.

A/N: Should I continue it, huh? I don't know, I like it as this lovely little one shot, leaving so many unanswered questions and other things just hanging….

I'm joking. I like this story too much to let it be. Throughout the next chapters I'm going to try to put at least one of The Laws of Unicron per chapter, and show how it could (and was) misinterpreted.  
This story is about the gray in life, and how blindly following someone else's word can lead to very bad things. This is Soundwave's story.


	2. Slag it, Frenzy, Wake Up!

**Author's Note: So, I've actually had this and the next chapter done for a while, but (obviously) I hadn't posted them yet. Yeah… For those of you that review, I love you, for those of you that read, I love you, for those of you that favorite/alert, I love you as well, and flamers, well, I love you too, because you're just so funny! But, then again, I've always been pretty hard to get mad for something as stupid as that.**

**And I know I said I was going to try to put one law per chapter, but it's not really working out that way. Maybe one every couple of chapters? It could bounce around, I'm not sure. Oh, and in my version, Ravage is a femme, and Laserbeak is a femme (though this is not a known fact amongst… well, anyone). Laserbeak and Buzzsaw are twins, and just to keep things straight, so are Rumble and Frenzy. Poor Ravage has no twin.**

**I had this done a long time ago, but for whatever reason, FF wouldn't upload it until just now. .**

**Disclaimer: Can't even say I own an OC this time, so… no. I own not at all.**

_:talk: _Speech through the symbiote bond

_talk_ Speech through normal comm

_talk _Thought

"_talk" _Speech in Cybertronian (only shown when a human is in the room- they speak Cybertronian when it is just them)

Soundwave looked down at the battered silver form in his hand. He and the symbiotes had recovered what parts they could find, but there were still some missing, he was sure. Hiding in the subspace compartment in his leg were crushed optics, sensors, pieces of what had previously been his head. Frenzy was just a decapitated body now, but that wasn't enough to kill him. Soundwave ran one large finger down a bent arm with surprising care before closing his hand around it once again and pulling the form to his chest. Ravage bound into view, giving a solemn nod as soon as she caught Soundwave's gaze. The humans were returning, and whatever was left of her brother was as good as scrap metal. Soundwave opened his chest compartment and Ravage leapt inside, transforming into a box and clicking into place at just the right moment.

Soundwave's monotonous voice rang out in the dark room, "Symbiotes: return." One by one they returned to their resting place within his chest. With one last look at Frenzy the limp body was placed in a spare storage compartment on his left arm and Soundwave turned, striding out of the room with a note of finality that could not be reproduced with physical sound.

Ravage bound into the small (in Cybertronian terms, anyway) clearing where Soundwave was sat, determinedly repairing the battered frame of his creation. The hologram surrounding the black symbiote's form flickered before fading out of existence, revealing her robotic form- clearly a big cat. _:All clear,:_ she reported before quickly making her way over to the still form of Rumble. He was taking the whole situation hard, but no one could really blame him. Frenzy was Rumble's _twin._ Ravage was taking it hard enough with Frenzy simply being her sibling. She had a feeling that if it were her twin, she would be a spiky bundle of wires and there would be a good dozen of the guilty party suddenly finding they no longer had sparks, with the remainder running for their lives and/or on their way to discovering their spark was gone.

The robotic cat nudged Rumble comfortingly before curling herself as tightly around him as she could. _:It will be all right,:_ she sent. _:Creator will fix him. He always fixes us. He'll be ok.:_

"That's what everyone said about Ratbat, too," Rumble tried to shoot back, but it ended up sounding less-than-threatening. It sounded like a sob more than anything.

_:Ratbat was a fool,:_ Ravage answered, a slightly mourning tone in her mental-voice, _:and Frenzy is better than that.:_

It seemed a long time that they sat there, the sun dipping below the horizon and the moon rising to take its place. Several stars winked down at them, some seeming to laugh at the situation, and others mourning right along with the small… family, yes. They were a family. They had chosen each other, and had spent far too long forming bonds not to be a family. It was silent, save for the occasional clinking of metal as Soundwave continued his work. Ravage found it almost maddening, and Rumble found the quiet screaming in his audio receptors.

Eventually two harpy eagles appeared, blotting out the stars and winging their way into the clearing. They landed, and the holograms dropped, leaving two metal birds in their place. One was almost the color of rust, and the other was a bright gold, a point of light in the darkness.

Soundwave didn't even look up.

The gold one stepped forward, gleaming red optics avoiding Frenzy. _:Megatron is dead, and the Allspark with it,:_ Buzzsaw informed the group, pausing to let it sink in. The normal reaction would have been horror, but there was no room in their sparks at the moment. _:One of the squishies shoved it into his spark, destroying them both. Starscream, Barricade and Frenzy are the only known survivors of the battle.: _Only the symbiote's superior training kept him from choking on the last word. _"Only two casualties on the Autobot side. Jazz thought to be permanently offlined, and Bumblebee's legs blown off, rendering him immobile for part of the fight.:_

_"Clarify how Barricade survived,"_ Soundwave spoke, though he never looked up.

_:He was not at the battle. Location unknown.:_

Soundwave sent a feeling of confirmation through their link.

_:An alliance has appeared to have formed between the human government and the Autobots, thought the general public remains unaware of Cybertronian existence. Bumblebee has become the human Samuel Witwicky's guardian, though he also protects a girl known as Mikaela Banes. They are as of yet unaware we have arrived.:_

Buzzsaw backed away, ducking his head, while Laserbeak stepped forward, her reaction similar to that of her twin's. The thought of losing Buzzsaw, or vice versa, was a terrible one that sent fear running down her spinal struts and cold claws of horror sinking into her spark. It was every twin's greatest fear. _:I have watched Autobot Bumblebee interact with the humans, and it appears as though a bond of friendship has formed. He is protective of them, and they act in a familiar manner around him, rarely showing signs of being scared. The boy, Samuel Witwicky, has only one other close friend: a male designated Miles Lancaster. He was not at the battle and is unaware of Cybertronian existence. I also observed the Autobots, and it appears they have taken Hoover Dam as their temporary base- the very same dam where we found Frenzy. They speak as if this will not be a lasting residency, and that a permanent arrangement is being built. It appears as though the military that have been given clearance to the Autobots are allies, but many of the government politicians are not happy. There is tension. Some want weapons technology, some don't trust them, some want them gone, thinking the Decepticon threat is over, some hate all Cybertronians, and some simply believe the Autobots are no better than the Decepticons, and that they are only waiting to destroy this planet. Those that are not trusting far out number those that do.:_ Laserbeak paused, waiting for any questions, but none came. It was all expected really. If one took any time to observe this race it was really very obvious. The question was who was an actual danger, and that would take more time to fully evaluate. _:I have also been observing Optimus Prime alone in his quarter, and have found that a shard of the Allspark has survived and is in his care. The Autobots will sometimes speak of it in their native tongue but the humans appear ignorant of its existence. Ratchet has been working steadily on Jazz, who has been declared offline, though there is talk of attempting to bring him back to life with the Allspark shard.:_ The lack of belief in that idea passed freely between the symbiotes. A dead mech was a dead mech.

_"Understood,"_ Soundwave intoned, sending approval through the lines. _"Laserbeak to continue observations. Buzzsaw to scan the 'internet' for valuable information on this planet and its inhabitants. Ravage to hack into the government's networks for other information on the Autobots. Rumble to remain here."_

Confirmations from the symbiotes echoes in the quiet forest before the first three disappeared to their assigned duties. Rumble remained crumpled by a tree.

Meanwhile, Soundwave was becoming more and more aware of the fact that Frenzy's repairs were far too advanced for him to accomplish alone.

One of Unicron's Laws idly rose to the forefront of his processor. _One who does not need a medic to tend to one's wounds is a powerful being indeed whom all should strive to copy._ Soundwave was really wishing he was a medic right now.

…..

Ratchet was really wishing he wasn't CMO. For whatever reason, it made everyone think he was a miracle worker. When Ratchet said he couldn't save a mech, that said mech was _dead,_ he wasn't joking. Jazz happened to fall into that category.

Not that Ratchet hadn't grieved for the loss. Oh no, Jazz had been a close friend of his, heck, he'd been everyone's friend! The medic had done his time of mourning, but he was pretty sure the rest of the team was still clinging to the last bit of hope that he could be brought back.

A wrench went flying and hit the wall, the metal _clang_ of metal on metal ensuing. "I'm a medic, slag it! My job is to help the living, not bring back the dead!" Ratchet cycled his vents and strode over, retrieving the wrench and returning it to the subspace compartment on his arm.

The med bay door swished open, and Ratchet turned, wrench suddenly back in his hand and ready to throw. "If you're here to ask about Jazz- oh. What is it you need, Captain Lennox?"

The captain merely raised an eyebrow at the behavior, having gotten used to the wrench flailing and arm waving that tended to happen every time the CMO got aggravated. Which was quite often. "A report had just come in and I can't find Optimus. And no, I didn't ask Ironhide, he's in one of his moods again."

"He's off base sending out another transmission. You can tell me, and I'll relay the information."

"Alright, well, the first one was ignored at first in favor of more important business. It didn't come in until a week or so after the battle, and with the higher ups still scrambling, it didn't reach me for longer still. Eventually I got a hold of it- Decepticon Frenzy is unaccounted for, and we scoured that rubble for any sign of him. This is all we found." Will raised his hand for Ratchet to see what was resting in his palm- a jagged piece of metal, clearly Cybertronian in origin. "It has Cybertronian radiation all over it. It wasn't too big of a worry at first because we were assured by the Secretary of State no less that the Decepticon was very thoroughly slagged." Ratchet's lip plates twitched at the reminder of how much time their human allies had spent with the Autobots since Mission City. "His head was destroyed by his own shruiken and then, for good measure, they went back and unloaded a few shotgun rounds into him. After the Sec Def, Maggie, Glen, and Simmons were retrieved from the room it was a while, as in a good few days, before it was thoroughly searched. Some of the agents claim to have seen what looked like giant foot prints in the rubble, but they ruined the evidence shortly thereafter without bothering to take a picture." The man's expression clearly said what he thought about _that._

"As you know, your sensors were installed and recording long before we had the computers to view the information with. Once that was done, we went through and found something… distressing. The same day the room where Frenzy was supposedly offlined we had a landing, and either it was a really strong spark, or several sparks clustered _really_ closely together. I have the spark reading here if you would like to see it." Having returned the piece of Frenzy to his pocket, Will pulled out a chip- Cybertronian compatible- and handed it to Ratchet. The medic quickly scanned it, and the whole room seemed to freeze for a moment. Then-

"Slag it all to the Pit!" Ratchet cursed loudly before switching into his native tongue. He began pacing the med bay, pausing only to ask, "Is there anything else?"

Armed with years of military training, Lennox continued without even a flinch. "We think it was a sloppy entrance, but you can see that. Whoever it was, they were in a hurry, but they only appeared on our sensors for a short while before disappearing again. As soon as they hit the ground, they might as well have disappeared. _And_ our ex-Sector Seven agents think the Pentagon's been hacked."

"Why do they say that?"

"Because for a short time, and I mean _extremely_ short, not even a second, there was a hiccup in the system. People with the top clearance couldn't access what they needed, pages wouldn't load, that sort of thing, but only at _just_ the right moment. Anyone who tried to enter passwords or change pages a moment before or after the hiccup were fine."

"I know who it is," Ratchet announced after a pause, finally stopping in his pacing to stand before the captain once more. "His designation would translate best to 'Soundwave,' I believe, and he is not a mech to be treated cautiously. He is among the five best Cybertronian hackers, and that's if the others haven't already offlined. One of the other best is his own creation, and I have no doubt that he doesn't have them all with him right now. It's hard to tell with the interference, but the spark reading implies it."

"Creations?" Lennox asked politely.

Ratchet eyed his wrench thoughtfully. "One… type of Cybertronian is the symbiote. They are usually small, in comparison to us at least, and usually form a symbiotic bond with another Cybertronian of a different type. The symbiote receives energy and often protection from the one it has bonded to and in return they are intensely loyal. Thoughts and emotions can filter across this bond, but they can be blocked or otherwise strengthened. I would go into the specifics, but I doubt you care." Lennox almost looked sheepish. "Back on Cybertron it was not uncommon- or found unethical- to create new types of frames or attempt to create a new Cybertronian in general. Soundwave was a scientist and created very many types of symbiotes, and many of the surviving symbiotes were originally his creations. He kept six of them for himself- which, by the way, is considered insane by most mechs. One symbiote is normally more than enough for a single mech. They can be very… demanding, both energy wise and emotionally."

"I get the feeling one would become very… attached to their symbiote."

In a tone bordering on dark, Ratchet answered with, "Very much so."

Will's face paled. "Frenzy isn't one of his… creations, is he?" The silence that greeted him was the only answer the captain needed. "We're screwed."

"It would appear so, yes."

Whenever Ratchet finished telling Optimus about the newest discovery, a human could have heard a pin drop.

…..

Laserbeak had found a mistake the humans had made in the construction of Ratchet's temporary med bay, and she exploited it. There was a small area between a cabinet and the ceiling that couldn't be seen from below. Laserbeak peeked out, stealthily shuffling back out of view every time that medic chose to look up- which was becoming more and more less often. It appeared that the medic really did know what was going on his med bay- mostly. Eventually one gets tired of looking for whatever is 'watching you' when nothing is there.

It was also the perfect vantage point to see (and run scans on) the body of Jazz. After all, Soundwave and his creations had never made it in their nature to trust someone else's judgement when they could double-check it themselves. _Especially_ concerning whether or not someone was permanently offline.

So, of course, she had a front row seat when Captain William Lennox came in with a few reports. If she weren't still depressed about the whole Frenzy thing Laserbeak would have had a hard time stifling laughter when they figured out exactly who it was that had landed. Still, it was important information, and the sort that shouldn't just float around waiting. Not to mention the only Autobot on Earth that might have a chance at cracking a transmission over a symbiote bond was apparently dead.

_:Laserbeak to Soundwave. The Autobots have discovered our presence on the planet, but are unaware of our location. They have also noticed Frenzy's disappearance and are currently very… nervous about our intentions.:_

_:Received. Information on Jazz?:_

_:Not enough to be certain.:_

_:Understood. Continue mission.:_

Laserbeak almost sighed, but resisted the urge. One thing about spy work- it was often very boring. The exciting bits normally made up for it, but the exciting part had already passed and there was nowhere better for her to be right now. Watching Ironhide shoot the slag out of some scrap would certainly be entertaining (and she knew good and well that was what he was doing at the moment) but wouldn't benefit her mission in any way. If something should happen while she was distracted by explosions, it would be her fault, and Soundwave didn't normally take well to such mistakes. With the mood he was in right now, Laserbeak really didn't want to risk it.

Ratchet paced, tinkered around with Jazz's body, sorted and re-sorted his tools, surfed the internet for a while…. Well, at least the medic was just as bored as she was, but at least Ratchet had the ability to distract himself. Laserbeak couldn't afford distractions. Oh, wait, he was receiving a comm…. And the effort made to hack into it really wasn't worth it. Just Optimus Prime saying he was home. Ratchet left to tell their leader about the whole Soundwave issue, and Laserbeak debated following.

About an two Earth hours later (because as soon as Prime realized what was happening, he had to wait for Ironhide and Bumblebee to show up for a discussion, and Ironhide wasn't exactly synonymous with 'speedy decision making') Laserbeak was back in the med bay with absolutely no new information. At least on her normal spying missions actually _did_ something, but the death of Megatron (and Jazz), plus the alliance with the talk-about-doing-something-but-never-actually-follow-through human government seemed to slow things up quite a bit.

Laserbeak was seriously contemplating the human habit of banging one's head against a wall (or pulling up a game of online poker, which was less painful or likely to get her caught) when a certain yellow scout entered her line of sight.

Energy was immediately diverted to her scanners.

"Hello, Bumblebee. Come sit on this berth, I need to grab something and I'll be right over." Bumblebee made an affirmative noise and moved to do as he had been told. Ratchet soon moved to his side and began running scans and tinkering with the scout's neck- probably working on his vocals again.

_Maybe he'll speak!_ Voices had always been one of the best ways to get a reaction, after all.

"I think you're about healed, Bumblebee. Just have to- ah, there we go." Ratchet moved back, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, what are you waiting for? Try it out!"

There was a small click and then, "I'm fixed?"

The two continued conversing, but Laserbeak wasn't paying attention anymore. It wasn't important. _:Laserbeak to Soundwave. Jazz's condition has been confirmed.:_ This was wonderful news, they could have the plan up and working within the Earth week!

_:Received. Return. We must discuss our next course of action.:_

_:Confirmed.: _Laserbeak couldn't keep the giddy tone out of the transmission.


	3. Hey Ratchet? About Jazz

**Author's Note: These are both posted at the same time, so….**

**All I have to say is that in this fic, Ratbat was one of Soundwave's symbiotes that was killed earlier in the war. For more history on Ratbat, please continue reading….**

Everyone was in a good mood. Even Ironhide, normally grumbling about 'cons or shooting whatever garbage was lying around Hoover Dam to bits was in high spirits. It was hard not to be- they were finally moving.

It had seemed for the longest time as if it wouldn't be happening at all. The government figures were… stubborn, and many did _not_ want the Autobots to be staying on Earth for any length of time, and they most _certainly_ didn't want some of their 'secret funds' (and Ratchet was frankly amazed there weren't more Americans in an uproar about all that money that just 'fell through the cracks') pulled away from their personal gain to be used on a base for 'giant robot aliens.' Of course, when Lennox presented the information that not only were Barricade, Starscream, and Frenzy unaccounted for, there were _more_ Decepticons on the loose. He then proceeded to point out the fact that Earth wasn't quite ready to protect itself, and wouldn't they rather _not_ tick off the few good Cybertronians they had? (Ratchet was sure he wasn't the only one that appreciated how he didn't use the term 'robot.') By the end of this Earth day, the Autobots would have a new base to call all their own. Well, theirs and their human allies, anyway.

That didn't mean Ratchet was about to let the humans do the packing for him. He would rather they not even touch his equipment, much less pack it into boxes for a trip via helicopter. And one couldn't forget Jazz. Dead or not, Ratchet was going to keep that corpse in the best shape. He knew there were a few mechs that would want to see the body before saying their final good-byes.

He dragged himself away from such morbid thoughts, though, as he entered his med bay. Frankly, he couldn't find it in him to be sad they were leaving this place- his med bay was horribly undersized. The next one had better be bigger. And maybe they would find a better place to put Jazz than covered by a blue tarp on one of _his_ medical berths.

And who had decided placing something on top of that tarp was a good idea? Everyone (who entered the med bay, anyway) knew what, or rather who, was under there! It was only reachable by a Cybertronian, too, so that meant Bumblebee, Ironhide, or Prime himself, and he couldn't really see any of them doing such a thing.

Ratchet picked it up and pulled up the message stored on it.

_We can help Jazz. We know _you_ may think he's dead, but then again, your job is to help the living, not bring back the dead, isn't it? How much money do you think creating symbiotes makes? Not very much, that's for sure. Your job may be to help the living, but _ours_ is to bring back the dead._

_Unfortunately we have a living mech in trouble right now, and we don't have the expertise to fix him. You do. We propose a trade: bring back a dead mech for saving a living one. We understand you might need time to think this over, and we also understand that you're moving. You have until your new med bay is set up at the end of the Earth day to make your decision. It's simple: if your answer is no, don't leave the base until the sun rises tomorrow. If your answer is yes, we'll meet you outside for discussion. There will be only one of us, so don't bother bringing the other Autobots, and we'll both lay down our weapons (including your wrench) so that there will be no threatening of the other. Remember, you don't know how to bring Jazz back, and there are very few who do, even less thanks to the war. So what will it be? Will you fix Frenzy, and save Jazz? Or will you condemn them both instead?_

There wasn't a signature, and it didn't need one. Ratchet knew exactly who 'we' were, and he wasn't about to say no. They both knew that. Really, the note was more of a formality than anything.

Ratchet just hoped this wouldn't, to use a human term, 'come back to bite him in the aft.'

…

Ratchet felt like a fugitive, sneaking out of his own base, even if it wasn't really that hard. He could feel optics on him, though, and somehow he doubted they were those of his comrades.

He was proved correct when Ravage slunk out of the shadows as soon as he was out, and through the very door he had been using, no less! _Show off,_ Ratchet thought, though he did see what the robotic feline was trying to do. Show the enemy what you _could_ have done, and then show them what you _had_ done.

_Follow me,_ Ravage sent using the short-wave frequency (the only one she could use, considering she didn't have the medic's comm number) before leaping in front of Ratchet and racing off. The CMO only paused a moment to consider the risk he was taking before following, his step a fair clip to keep up with symbiote.

When Ravage stopped, it was out of view of the Autobot base but close enough Ratchet could call for backup and probably survive. _Diplomatic slagger._ Ratchet knew this game, and knew it well. He had played it often back on Cybertron, during his vorn as a senator. He had given it up pretty quickly, but that didn't mean he hadn't learned a few tricks of the trade before he was done.

Without another word, Ravage revealed two cannons on her hips and then dropped them to the ground. Smaller, more discreet weapons were dropped as well, and a small laser gun hidden in her mouth- it wasn't as if she used the area for consuming energon like other mechs. Satisfied with her small pile of weaponry, Ravage stepped back and sat down, metal tail curling around her paws.

Ratchet followed suit, with the exception of the sitting down. He was in no mood to sit.

Silence ruled and it became apparent to Ratchet that Ravage was waiting for him to make the first move. _Strategic, but also a sign this isn't just a game like it was back on Cybertron. They're serious._ Why else would they give up the advantage so easily?

"Frenzy was never found in that rubble. I assume that means you have him."

_You're a smart medic._

"That you're asking for _my_ help also means it's pretty serious. I know Soundwave can take care of most wounds, not to mention I'm the enemy."

_Who said anything about you being the enemy?_ Ravage purred, and for the first time Ratchet realized there wasn't a single Decepticon symbol on the symbiote's armour.

"You're not defecting." It wasn't really a question. Soundwave knew this wasn't the kind of ruse that would get him a nice spot in the Autobot army- he also knew most of the Autobot army was out for his energon. To say that Soundwave had killed a few mechs and femmes (oh yes, and probably sparklings too, though there was no real proof of that last one) would be a bit of an understatement. To say that he had killed at least one friend of everyone in the Autobot army? Probably not that far off the mark.

_We're not stupid. We know where we're not welcome._

_This is idle chatter. We need to get down to business. _"How can you bring Jazz back to life?"

_And now you start asking the important questions. You're answer: we can't. He's not dead._

"Are you insulting my skill as a medic? I checked and rechecked. You don't think I would want to be sure one of my friends wasn't dead?"

_I never said any of those things. Yes, to a medic he is dead, but clearly we aren't medics. If we were, we wouldn't be asking for your help. As was written in the note: how much do you think a scientist makes? That was more of a hobby than anything. We re-ignite sparks. In a sense, anyway._

"How do you know he's not permanently offline, then, and why can't you just tell me how to do it myself?"

_Why can't you just tell us how to repair Frenzy? That's a stupid question, medic, and you know it. It's never that easy. And how do you think we know? We've had a spy in your base since we landed, Autobot, clearly you know that. Laserbeak has been running highly specialized scans on Jazz every time there was a chance, and we found something interesting. Turns out our favorite saboteur wasn't as dead as everyone thought._

"How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won't just shoot me in the spark when I'm done with Frenzy?"

_Much better. For an astrosecond, I was worried your intelligence had dulled over time. _There was clear sarcasm in Ravage's tone, but Ratchet chose to ignore it for the moment. _You'll be keeping one of us as hostage._

_"What?"_

_Yes. I believe it will be Buzzsaw, actually. Buzzsaw will give himself up and let himself be taken into your care until the whole transaction is over. How does tomorrow morning sound? It would be in everyone's best interest if Frenzy was repaired tomorrow, don't you think? In his state he's not likely to last entirely too much longer._

"I'm not in a position to make a decision for my fellow Autobots."

Ratchet could have sworn Ravage rolled her optics at him. _Then comm them. Frankly I'm surprised you weren't relaying the entire conversation._

Ratchet scowled and eyed the wrench sitting innocently in the pile of other weapons longingly. Of course, even if he was allowed to have it, Ravage had a much faster reaction time and ability to jump out of the way than his usual suspects…. He opened a public comm with the other Autobots.

Before he could send one word, however, Optimus was already there. _Yes, Ratchet?_

_Bumblebee here._

_This had-_

Ratchet interrupted Ironhide before he could get started. _We have a rather… odd situation. If it were up to me I'd have it accepted and done with before the Earth night was up, but I'm afraid I need some cooperation from the rest of you if this it to work._

_Well, what is it?_ Ironhide grumbled.

Ratchet sighed into the connection. _I have been offered a trade: fix a mech and, in return Jazz will be recovered._ The medic hesitated, not really eager to tell his comrades _who_ he was to fix.

_I believe there is more to this than you are letting on, Ratchet,_ Optimus came in, voice (and the emotions that managed to trickle through any comm link) soothing. Amusement was suddenly following. _And I will reign in Ironhide if the need be._

_The mech I'm to repair is Frenzy, and Soundwave would be the one to recover Jazz._

There was silence, then, _WHAT? You're so much as _considering_ working with that slagger? Ratchet, he's-_

_I'm well aware, Ironhide,_ Ratchet interrupted, tone sharp. _So far there has been no inkling of betrayal in this deal, and I know how to look for it. The deal is this: tomorrow morning, Buzzsaw will come to the Autobot base and give himself up, and believe me, he knows where it is. He will take him as a temporary prisoner to insure nothing goes wrong. I will then repair Frenzy, and Soundwave will come to fix Jazz. Buzzsaw will only be released once the transaction has been completed. _Ratchet could sense Ironhide about to butt in again, and quickly continued. _They have played their cards well here, to borrow a human term. As one of Soundwave's symbiotes, we are all well aware he would wish no harm to come to him. Buzzsaw is also a twin, _and he plowed right on through the astonished silence, _Really, wasn't it obvious? To Laserbeak, specifically. This, in case you can't figure it out, makes him an even more valuable hostage. By holding him, we are indirectly holding Laserbeak as well. Soundwave wouldn't risk two of his cassettes just for a couple pot shots at me. We all know what happened when he lost Ratbat._

There was silence over the lines as each Autobot remembered. Ratbat had been one of Soundwave's youngest symbiotes, with few skills. He was practically a pet- Soundwave had taken him in when one of his previous bonds abandoned him. Ratbat was killed early in the war, and for a long time afterward Soundwave had been particularly… unpleasant. It was quickly learned that killing one of the small Decepticons wouldn't be worth the effort, if one could catch them in the first place. One symbiote for the price of hundreds of Autobots was simply not found to be a price they wanted to pay.

_You truly believe Soundwave is serious about this? _came Optimus's voice once more.

_Prime, it seems almost like they're licking their wounds right now. And… _he paused, unsure about telling this just yet, but plowed on anyway, _they're not even claiming to be Decepticons anymore. Ravage is sitting in front of me right now- and he's unarmed, Ironhide, so shut it- and there's not a single Decepticon icon anywhere on his body. Not one._

Bumblebee spoke up for the second time in the entire conversation. _I think they're serious. You probably haven't seen it as much as I have- after all, I'm the scout- but they wouldn't joke about something like that. They're all zealots over there, most of them truly believing they're doing the right thing, and Soundwave is one of the worst. He wouldn't so much as scratch his Decepticon symbol if the hadn't realized something was horribly wrong._

Ironhide sputtered incoherently, and Optimus was silent, as if he were thinking. The Prime finally spoke after a moment, a note of finality in his tone. _We'll do it. If they're really serious about this, it is worth it._

_But Prime!_

_Don't make it an order, Ironhide. If nothing else, we will show Soundwave and his creations basic respects while this trade is being done. I would expect nothing less for Jazz._

Ironhide was clearly unhappy about it but didn't say anything more.

_I will tell Ravage._

The metal cat looked up from where she had been inspecting a metal claw before Ratchet could open his mouth. _You have come to a decision?_

"How would you know? Where you listening in on the conversation?"

Ravage stood and stretched languidly. _Hacking is my profession, and a bit of a bad habit. Besides, it was hardly protected._

Ratchet couldn't help but see the logic. They really had made no effort to encrypt the conversation, but still, it annoyed him. "Then you know the answer."

_Indeed I do. Buzzsaw will be waiting at the door when the sun rises tomorrow. _And with that, Ravage retrieved her weapons and disappeared into some brush. Ratchet resisted the urge to rub the bridge of his nose- that was _Prime's_ nervous habit, slag it, not his!- and replaced his own weaponry. He could already tell this was going to be an eventful couple of orns.

Undetected in the middle of a forest, Soundwave was thinking something quite similar.


End file.
